RIO: Desert Storm
by Lugitorix
Summary: No accidental flight trip, no weird portals opening up and tossing our lovely characters into Africa... just a continuation. Nigel is back, with a full new batch of feathers, and of course a nasty grudge...
1. Chapter 1

"Filthy, disGUSTING rodents!- or whatever you are...", a newly feathered wing smacked way the small Marmosets away from the underbrush, his pale, stagnant feathers were no longer nasty, and odd... with them able to grow, they stuck out far more... lusciously.

"You've had your FUN!", the talons of a malicious killer came down on the camera lens, crushing it... indefinitely. His eyes raised, still baggy, and dry... at least his feathers looked good. He slowly lumbered long through the underbrush at a nasty pace, the monkeys backing up against the trees.

"Don't kill us Nigel!", one peeped out, peeping loudly, and quite wimpish as a long, nasty talon met his neck, raising his chin.

"Kill you?", that proper voice asked, as his deep yellow black iris' narrowed with a leer smile, "Why would I do that? He gripped the speaker in one rapid motion, and tossed him aside, before giving a flap of his wing, landing on a long branch, and brushing his feather atop his head back, "No, I've no intention of wasting such time on...", he grimaced,and turned his head to them, "You, runtlings..."

He looked out to the marvelous, colorful scenery that was... Rio.

"No... now that I am...", he flared his head feathers, "Presentable.", he confirmed, "I think I've a much bigger stain on my reputation to smudge off...". The winds from the warm, tropical shoreline brushed all over him... this tree gave him a wide view of the island... oh-so perfect by his taste... if he wasn't so mundane.

He easily ignored the presence of those primates... they were most likely gone now anyway. Satisfied that they were unable to catch him on camera anymore with his... featherless appearance. Now he was renewed... but he was still very BITTER.

"Pests...", he snapped in anger, looking at the setting sun, oh how beautiful it was... "You think you can just rid yourselves of... Nigel!", he flared his wings, and used the left wing, brushing back his feather, as a leer smile crossed his face, "So brash...", he commented, "So foolish...", he rid hatefully, and spread his wings, flaring up into the sky.

He had no intention of returning to his smuggling owner... no, too much weight to carry. Those useless buffoons were all BUT helpful. His dark white feather became smooth, and no longer jagged, even his tail feathers had grow out farther... he looked... bigger. Less dirty, and more... malevolent. With a rapid movement, he took a swan dive into the city itself... he despised flying in the dark, ever since he ran headlong into an electrical adapter... mounted on a damn telephone pole.

If Carnaval was the biggest celebration of the year, it did NOT stop music form being played constantly throughout the verandas. Hey, it was all about the Somba. Oh who was he kidding, with a short grumble, and bumble, he came faltering down through the sky, and landed with a hop, and a clawed grip onto the stone ground. He was very unnoticed amongst the crowds of people, he weaved his way along the empty crates, fruit stands, chicken coops, and of course, exotic meats. This was all customary, and Nigel at least enjoyed this scenery far more than the world inside... so bleak, and boring.

He moved his way suddenly to a hard left, and snuck himself into one of the alleyways, his eyes getting narrow as a way for him to peer into the now darker area. His talons clacked as he slowly moved his way through.

"Oh boooys.", he called out, a dry grin on his beak, getting more hunched over... now he should have done this the first time around.

"Boys...", he called again, after receiving no response, his eyes narrowed, and in the dim alleyway, they grew wide, and angered, "Wake Up!", he snapped, with a deep caw.

"WHOA!", black wings rose out from under a pile of garbage, "I'm up!"

"Yeah We're here! We're goin!", shouted a second. In a quick rise, and plume of small feathers from a long, lazy nap, three heads, scattered along the trash left by lazy housekeepers rose from the pile. Their heads flared up, each with a different color, hidden by all black. Their eyes peeled wide open. One's red, the second blue, and the third yellow... plain, yet pretty colors.

They were indeed exotic... specifically Crested Caracaras. Not from around these parts, but then again Nigel wasn't either.

"Who?", the red eyed black bird peered through the dim light, and suddenly fluttered backward, into the other two, reeling them back, and piling up. They, in one giant blob of feathers, and talons, came rolling down the trash piles, "Bros! Its Nigel!", he warned, as they each landed with a strong oomph.

Or... perhaps this wasn't such a good idea... the Cockatoo crazed his feathers across his face, pulling on his eye lids, and sighing in deep, utter annoyance, "Please make yourselves proper...", he warned, his voice grew cold.

They stopped their struggling, and got to their feet, standing at about his height, "So Nigel...", one began, second tallest, meaning second eldest... the blue eyed Caracara, "Er!-Boss.", he corrected, getting a smile out of it... yes have to remember that, "What brings ya here?", they had light islander's accent, raised completely out of where they belonged.

The shortest gave a smile, uneasy around what they each would call 'uncle'... "Eh yeah...you usually come ta us whenya need someone.- uh..."

The red eyed male, oldest, and most primed, turned from the brother, to the Cockatoo, "Dead.", he finished, and chuckled, "Or as a steppin stone in that direction.", he remained still, trying to keep their employer... satisfied.

In a slow pacing movement, "Yes...", he confirmed, his feather around one of the trash items that had rolled out of the pile they slept in... it was an amethyst stone... which had obviously belonged onto a ring... before being busted off by what evidence it gave him, "Yes I do...", he looked up to them.

"...A-... And?", the blue eyed Crest asked, his feather rustling... swallowing hard.

"Well, my dear little nephews...", he stepped forward, seeing as they were... unconfident in his presence.. he enveloped them each in his wings. A hug... but a cold one, to which they themselves could not tell the difference, "Forgive me if I make you uneasy." he hissed, and shook them lightly, nudging them with his feathers.

In his feather they had little choice but to smile, and be polite, and perhaps a little mischievous.

"Tell me... how have you three been... holding up?", he asked, standing tall, and releasing them rather abruptly, dropping them onto their rears...

"Life's been good.", the red eyed brother answered, "Lotsa girls... lotsa food... lotsa everythin.", he didn't nod or smile, but he wasn't hard to the core either... he liked to have fun, but in Nigel's presence the fun came AFTER he gave them a job...

"Yes, everyone seems happy... in Rio...", the Cockatoo mumbled, flicking a particle of dirt off his new feathers, he looked back at them, "How is my new look?", he asked halfheartedly, looking himself over moreso...

"Uh, lookin good sir.", the youngest gave him a bird's thumbs up, and jumped as a firework went almost directly overhead the alleyway.

"Yeah... real pretty.", the second eldest peeped.

"Yes but do I still have that... dark sense?", he asked, twitching his tail feathers left and right, giving a strut, "Be honest.", he told them, and then turned, "Eh-nevermind!", he didn't shout, he was just going off track. In a quick flash he gained his more contemplative stance, "Boys I have a job for you...", he began.

"You need somebody-"

"Dead!", he looked at them in a wide eyed, twisted expression, "Two! Dead, is what I need!"

His angry outburst made them uneasy again, tapping their claws, and flicking their eyes to one another to remain neutral to their... uncle...

"And... you want us to do it?"

"Oh heavens no, Jeran...", he waved his wing down, and looked at the oldest, "I want you three to find me a killer...", he hissed.

"Well... arnt you one-"

"Besides! me...", he corrected, and glared, turned away from the three... another firework went off overhead, the light turned his eyes color a dark red... then yellow. So evil...

"But Nig- boss... There ain't a single bird round here this time a year that'll pull a job like that.", Jeran added... but he did not overstep his boundaries.

"OH don't be so hasty...", the talons of the cockatoo raised off the ground, like a finger raised, he tsked the black Caracara, "I'm sure with some..." he grabbed the younger bird by the beak, "Ingenuity!... you can...", he pushed him back h much vigor, "Find me someone capable...", he chuckled openly, then turned his smile to them, "I know you three can do, just this one little task... yes?"

Like a bunch of slaves, they nodded in obedience, "What exactly are ya lookin for?", the second eldest asked... staring on with as much patience as he could mount with uncle Nigel.

With a rub of his chin, and flare of his head feathers, "Hmmm... Effective.", was the one descriptive answer he gave the three. He turned to face them, "When you've got one... bring them to me...", he hunched and spread his wings, "The clock tower... Midnight.", he stated, "I will be their or ten minutes... if you don't arrive... then you best hope your bird has time issues.", he grunted, and took a slow flight.

"See you soon Boys!", he cawed, and with that loud, odd laugh... he flew fast, and hard through the sky.

In his absence, the three exhaled in relief... and began to look amongst eachother. Their eyes were a little too calm now... as though they KNEW what they were doing almost.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors for whoever gets the partyhouses...", the youngest coed, shaking his tail feathers, "The Somba is soundin gooood tonIGHT.", he taunted. And like a horde of flies to meat,they gathered.

"Yer on!", the oldest answered... the middle child smiling confidently as they readied their talons for a good best two out of three.

Without watching the three exactly, they soon fluttered themselves out of the alleyway, and into the sky, heading in three different directions. And they flew fast for their sizes, each one laughed, and amusedly flew low over the lively cityscape. The sun was nearly set... oh what a beautiful sight this place was... the music grew louder and louder as that hot sun sank over the horizon.

Smugglers were expecting a drop off that night...


	2. Chapter 2

"LLLLOCAA!", came the cry of a Marmoset, the simply gray color scheme as usual, and of course, dressed in the stolen trinkets snatched off the humans. With a clap of his hands, and a spin of his body and tail, he was followed by an entire group of the look-a-likes. The music emitted off the pots, and pans, and one even managed to play a stolen flute.

"Whoa!", one dived out into the crowds, a large diamond ring over his forehead, a wristwatch around his hips, and of course, his fur was an orange brown. King Mauro was always the lead dancer, he always had a smile on his face, "AAA!", he threw his arm at the sky, and did another spin, taking over for the original lead dancer... via kicking him out of the way.

"HaHAA!", he screeched again, suddenly becoming encircled in a four-player dance, he and three other monkeys spinning off their heads, and soon onto their backs. They loved their flips, and leaps... always so flashy.

"And those birds thought we din know how ta party.", he shouted out to the clan members next to him, and made a crackly little laugh. He turned and swung his tail left and right... getting up into a handstand.

"Yeah! All over some stupid pair a birds!", laughed another, which kicked up more laughter, and of course, the dancing didn't stop.

"Ch'yeah... Avians.", the King shrugged with a smug grin, before he hool-a-hooped with the wrist watch, his eyes closed with a brash smile, so confident. While the music played loudly, matches struck to simulate torches, and the drumming on the pans getting more lively, they remained rather oblivious to the world around them, as they usually did.

The sky, high above was always accompanied by either birds, or a plane. And when a cargo plane flew low overhead, it meant one of three things. It was either landing in Rio. It was low on fuel. Or... it was a smugglers aircraft.

And what type of animal was smuggled out of Rio year round? Birds. Exotic birds... The plane blew a gasket as it passed directly overhead... low enough to be heard over the music, killing the mood.

The dancing slowed to a halt, and they all looked directly up, especially the King, "What in da name a Rio...", he normally wouldn't expect a human vessel to pass this low so far from the island. With an gaped stare, he screeched, and they scattered, a large, heavy, wooden crate crashed through the trees, breaking the vines, and upsetting the branches. With a loud heavy thud, it hit the ground, pluming up the soft dirt, and leaves upon reaching the forest floor. It was at least a four-by-four sized crate.

The primates hid amongst the rocks, and trees, but as the minutes passed they began to lift their heads up from their hiding places... staring at the box dug a few inches into the ground... it must have been heavy. Looked like it too just from the silence it gave them.

"Whoa...", some of the clan members gawked, as they now were emerging completely, even creeping up to it, "Ey Mauro... whatya thinks inside?", one shouted loudly... for the king wasn't close by, he was poking his head out from meters away.

"H-...", he stuttered, and then sucked in a breath, and stood more dominantly form behind his rock, "How am I supposed ta know?", he shouted back, and hopped down, trudging up to the gathering with a... mildly embarrassed expression. He put his fists to his hips and stared up at the crate, "Itsa... itsa-one a them smugglin crates, yeah...", he confirmed, his nose twitched, and he sneezed, plugging it and swiping the air, "Dang... this one smells AWFUL!", he spat... and like he, most of the others did to upon catching a wiff of the foul- to them- exotic, odor.

"Ey boss...", one nudged him, and pointed up at the small barred opening at the top of the locked door.

"Phew! Yeah?", he asked.

"Whats dat thing?", he pointed a little, drabishly, as though it was in plain sight, which... well... it was. Hanging out from over the molded wood, and rusted bars... was a long strand of shiny, spherical balls... laced on a soft string.

"Whoa!-now dats a pretty necklace!", Mauro smiled widely, and took a hasty step forward, before stopping almost immediately, "Ehhhhh...", he had one leg raised, and a wide open-mouthed frown on his face... looking amongst the group, "Ehh you.", he pointed to a gray Marmoset at random.

"Aa?", he asked, in that stereotypical voice of an primate, his thumb pointing to his chest for confirmation.

"Yeah you! Go an get it!", he waved his hands at the white necklace, the king gave a stern experession.

"Ah!", he nodded, and suddenly hopped up onto the wood, and climbed his way to the top... without any harm coming to him. With a sudden grab of the necklace, he lifted it to show to the others, a toothy smile on his face to say it was safe to steal! But, then he tried tugging it, to no avail... then again...

He got a tug back.

"Aa?", he used both hands, and tugged back harder, before he was snapped through the bars, and with a loud screech!-... it got very quiet. The sound of audible swallowing went off, something being passed down a gullet very quickly.

With a unanimous gasp, the tribe took steps, all up to full lunges backward in surprise.

There was a deep snort from inside the box, a loud sigh went off... and with a bang, the box shook. It was durable... which was made obvious when whatever was inside didn't try again for another minute. The ramming creature inside must have been very large, unsettling the light sand off the sides of the wood.

"W-what the heck is in that thing?", someone asked, elbowing king Mauro. They were hastily pushed back.

"I have no idea!", he shouted in defense, glancing back and forth, from crowd, to crate. "Jus get away from it!-don TOUCH it!", his ears going down and his fur dropping dead as the crate shook, and a long groan escaped from it's confines.

"Vhat is dis place?", the small barred eyehole at the very front gave view to a large shadow moving about inside. The pitter patter of... claws? Talons? They couldn't tell. They emmited from inside. The voice from inside was deep, if not somehow deep African? Very thick, and aged. A large eye leaned agaisnt the door of the crate, dark yellow, bloodshot from some sort of exhaustion, or deprivation, "Eyy... littel monkey man! You have de key?"

"It talks!", someone blurted, stumbling back, over a rock, and writhing in shock.

Mauro facepalmed, but his eyes remained fearful, "Who wants ta know?", he asked, his feet tapping nervously at the ground, his tial twitching back and forth.

The eye blinked slwoly, and loomed left to right, "You want someting in rehturn?"

"What- No! What are you, Crazy?", this thing HAD just EATEN someone!

"...Yes?", the door got a hard knock, causing it to shake a little, "Please... let me out.", he asked again, "Dis crate is... suffocating me."

Mauro leaned forward, his eyes cocked, confused... he realized whatever was inside... Answered to HIM. He stood straight, and crossed his arms, "Haha.", he yipped in his primative voice, "You aint goin anywhere...", he ran forward, climbing up the crate. His eyes had wandered, and guess what was hitched to one of the padlocks on the crate.

Bright. Shiny. Brass. Keys.

With his opposable thumbs handy, he detatched one of them from the silver keychain. And soon, the tribe leader landed feet first to the ground, chuckling as he spun the key on his arm. He stopped, and whipped around with a grin, "This watcha want?", he teased.

The crate shook, the eye rushing at the bars, to stare out at the marmoset, "Yes! Dats dem! Hand dem ovah'ere!", the beast inside shook the crate with a hard JOLT.

"Ha! No can do!", he slammed the key onto the earth, leaning on it like a fin cane as more of his henchmen gathered, cackling and laughing, "the way I see it! You answer to ME now! Prisoner.", the king tossed the key aside, and made a tauntish, wacky face at the cage.

"Agh! Little Bastard!", the cage rumbled as the creature inside rammed hard against it, "Come on! Don't leave me in ere!", he pleaded, "-I will deVOUR you when I get out!", bang! Again, he shook the crate.

"IF ya get outta there!", the monkey retorted, snickering in all that cockiness, wiping his face smugly with an arm, and adjusting his rings.

"Littel piece of-", the beast silenced his rant, and the eye repealed back into the crate.

"HUMAN! Scatter!", one of the Marmosets screamed, sending them into a flurry.

Mauro remained still, "What?", he eventually panicked when he heard those horrid, beastly, MONSTEROUSLY ironic words.

"Daddy look what I found!", the voice of a young girl called behind him, "MONKEYS DADDY!", the shrimpish little tourist came hopping in excitedly, even as the marmosets ran away, and up into the trees.

"AH!", Mauro flinched when she tried to grab him with his tiny little fingers... HE was able to escape, but the key went flipping out of his hands, and to the dirt beside her. Oh to hell with it! He burst into a run, and hopping up the tree branches, panting, and relieved, "Geez, I hate dose kids...", he rubbed his temples.

But he then halted with a very violent twitch, and he, followed by the others aorund him slowly looked down.

Just as they feared! The girl picked up the key!

"What have you got there, honey?", a dark skinned man finally entered, the father, his soft brown eyes were full of kind, and yet curious emotion.

"This!", she held up the key to him, exchanging it with his big rough hands.

He immediately questioned it's origin... until he simply rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle when he looked at the big, wooden box not... ten feet away.

"Whats inside?", his young daughter asked, bouncing around in her little gift shop clothing... her long blonde hair flailing with her as she suddenly ran up, giving the crate door a hard PULL. She fell back instantly when it wouldn't budge.

Her father smiled, "Let me do it, baby girl.", he picked her up, setting her behind him before he leaned down... only a little, and raised the lock, and comparing it to the bronze key... "Huh...", he shrugged plainly, rather passively... the key matched perfectly. Why it was out here he had... no idea, but... it couldn't hurt to have a little curiosity, and see what exactly was inside.

He pushed it right in, and gave it a quick twist, pretty much without caution, and pulled the lock off the door. Inside he already could smell... it WAS kind of stagnant... a little unclean... the crate WAS old, and a little rotted on the exterior afterall. He pulled it open right then and there.

Mauro pulled his head back quickly, and the others.

"AHH!", the man cried out, flailing backwards at the large, dark colored monster that burst through the open crate. It gave off a loud screech, wings flared wildly in what looked MASSIVE.

It was a bird... but it wasn't an ordinary bird... at least nothing they had ever seen before. The color's offset it as... exotic, it had not even white on it's body, just a mix of dark browns, blacks, and greys. It had just a little red... bulbed under it's long, sharp beak... no wonder it scared the human... the wingspan was bigger than seven feet.

It call was blisteringly high pitched, it's eyes widened to show instant hostility. It's three toed claws stomped slowly as it threatened the man who had released it.

The daughter screamed instantly, running for the trees, or to find a bush she could hide under.

Her father was on the ground, eyes wide with terror as he crawled away on his back, "Go on! Get! Get out of here!", he kicked or swung his arms at it. To which the bird only replied with a loud, gutteral hiss, flapping it's wide, brutal wings as it hovered backward along the ground.

The man scrambled to his feet, grabbing his daughter, "Call the police!", he shouted as he made a run for the railing on the edge of the forest, "Killer bird!", he added... and he was gone.

"Eghh-.. HA ha ha haaa...", the beast shook his head left to right, his African accent was wild, and a little funny... it had a few cracks, and caws mixed inside it. His sharp toed feet stomped up and down repeatedly, making deep seratins in the dirt under him. Wings flaring every few seconds or so to show his dominance even over the human, "Ha ha haaa...", his scarred beak curved into a dark, amused smile.

"What da heck is THAT?", one of Mauro's henchmen asked, nudging him by the elbow. He was smacked, and made to hide.

"Shhh!", he made a cutthroat motion, and grit his teeth as he hid quickly- "LOOK OUT!", he pointed and ducked harshly to the side.

Those sharp claws came running through the dense branches, ripping through the foilage, digging around for the king marmoset, "Pesty littel monkey!", that voice hissed, "Not let me out of de crate ah?", the claws RIPPED across the bark.

It missed Mauro by an inch, taking the top of his hair clean off, as well as his paperclip, "Heheh.", he nervously smiled to the giant bird, and dived downward, "Somebody help me!", he cried.

But NONE would attack such a beast! Any exotic bird would be no problem! But something so big, and so powerful... Not a one.

"Get back ere!", it pulled away from the tree, and leapt down... gliding after him... to big for such a short dive. Beak, claws, talons, and heavy wings attacked after the primate without so much a thought of rest, or mercy.

Not until Mauro was dead by his standards. And he nearly was.

The king tripped over a branch, and fell face first into a split log, that had worn away into the ground.

"No no no!-... AHHH!", he screamed, his arms out in front of him, as he rolled out of the way... the beak missing him, driving inches into the earth, nearly getting stuck as the lumberous monster pried it clean off, and hissed.

"Get'e back ere!", he cawed, the claws of his large, powerful legs came crashing down.

And just when Mauro think he could dodge... SMACK!... they latched upon his tail, stomping down hard, and locking him to the ground.

"YOW!", he cringed. His legs grew shaky as he looked up to this creature... the dark eyes of such an Avian glared down.

"I've room for seconds...", he rumbled, and raised his head up.

"No!", he held out his palms in his own defense, "DON'T EAT ME!"

The beak came down with one rapid strut of the neck!... But stopped. His jaws were spread wide for the kill, yet... something distracted him. The Super-Avian raised his stout neck, his scarred beak turned around... gazing at coastal city on the mainland, "Egh... where am I?...", the nostrils on his beak sniffed the air... catching the scents all around him.

Mauro opened an eye slowly, teeth grit and ready to die... why wasn't he dead?

"... You get off easy littel monkey man...", the claws raised him off the ground, and tossed him aside... a denied meal.

"Agh!- What?", Mauro groaned, rubbing his rear when he hit the ground... his ears could pick up... oh god! Music!...

Whatever this bird was, he wasn't exotic... but it seemed to call out to him, "Eggghhh...", he grimaced, yet seemed to enjoy it. His large black, gray wings spread, and with a few beats he leapt forward... into the air. The branched, which were filled with monkeys were knocked aside!

"AAAHHH!", some of them yipped, and screamed as they were sent to the ground, or into other branches by the beast's immense weight, and strength.

To Mauro, his heart beat rapidly, his hand covering it tightly, and fearful for his life, though it had been spared. He breathed in sharp pants, "Is he gone?", he got no answer.

It was quite an odd, yet... graceful sight... watching a VERY large bird take flight... they could see it even when it was so far away... the dark black wings spread across the sky as a silhouette in the sun.

Some birds at the very edge of the island jumped, recoiling from their nests as such a bird came RIPPING out of the trees beside their own, taking a heavy beat with a good gust of wind as it flew outward, over the steep drop to water below.

Young chicks began to cry in fright... others chirped in an amazed state of mind, "What was THAT?", some asked, smiles spread across their faces as they scrambled to the edges of their nests. Their mother of course... would grab up their brave little ones, and hide them away from that sight... as THEY were the scared ones...

* * *

>They had never seen, such a beast.<p><p>

**Took a while, and I'm sry to some of ye good reviewers. Hope you liked this chapter... and tell me... Was Mauro done good? I watched the movie. So it seemed like that's kinda how he would act around a predator this large.**

**Five imaginary dollars to whoever can GUESS what species of bird this was, because it IS a real bird. Just... maybe the descriptions a bit fuzzy- But that don't matter, I just hope you enjoyed it for what it was ^^.**

**~Lugitorix.**


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